6. For thus says the Lord to the king’s house of Judah: You are Gilead to Me,and the peak of Lebanon;yet surely I will make you a wildernessand cities which are not inhabited.
7. I will prepare destroyers against you,everyone with his weapons;and they shall cut down your choice cedarsand cast them into the fire.
8. Many nations will pass by this city, and every man will say to his neighbor, “Why has the Lord done thus to this great city?”
9. Then they will answer, “Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them.”
10. Do not weep for the dead nor bemoan him,but weep constantly for him who goes away;for he will return no morenor see his native country.
11. For thus says the Lord concerning Shallum the son of Josiah king of Judah, who became king instead of Josiah his father, who went from this place: He will not return any more,
12. but will die in the place where they have led him captive and will see this land no more.
13. Woe to him who builds his house with unrighteousnessand his chambers with injustice,who uses his neighbor’s services without wages,and gives him nothing for his work,
14. who says, “I will build myself a roomy houseand large chambers,”and cuts out its windows,paneling it with cedarand painting it with vermilion.
15. Do you reignbecause you compete in cedar?Did not your father eat and drinkand do justice and righteousness,and then it was well with him?
16. He judged the cause of the poor and needy;then it was well with him.Is not this what it means to know Me?says the Lord.
17. But your eyes and your heartare intent only on your covetousnessand on shedding innocent bloodand on oppression and violence.
18. Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: They will not lament for him, saying,“Ah, my brother!” or, “Ah, sister!”They will not lament for him, saying,“Ah, lord!” or, “Ah, his glory!”
19. He will be buried with the burial of a donkey,drawn and cast outbeyond the gates of Jerusalem.
20. Go up to Lebanon and cry out,and lift up your voice in Bashan,and cry out from Abarim,for all your lovers are destroyed.
21. I spoke to you in your prosperity,but you said, “I will not listen!”This has been your manner from your youth,that you have not obeyed My voice.
22. The wind will sweep away all your shepherds,and your lovers shall go into captivity;surely then you will be ashamed and humiliatedfor all your wickedness.
23. O inhabitant of Lebanon,who makes your nest in the cedars,how you will groan when pangs come upon you,the pain as of a woman in labor!
24. As I live, says the Lord, though Koniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet on My right hand, yet would I pluck you from there.
25. And I will give you into the hand of those who seek your life and into the hand of those whose face you fear, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans.
26. I will cast you and your mother that bore you out into another country where you were not born, and there you shall die.